e House upon the head of the presumptuous intruder; but
alone, or almost alone, he confronted and defeated all his assailants.
"Torrents of sublime eloquence from Mr. Henry, backed by the solid
reasoning of Johnston, prevailed."[68]

It was sometime in the course of this tremendous fight, extending
through the 29th and 30th of May, that the incident occurred which has
long been familiar among the anecdotes of the Revolution, and which
may be here recalled as a reminiscence not only of his own consummate
mastery of the situation, but of a most dramatic scene in an
epoch-making debate. Reaching the climax of a passage of fearful
invective, on the injustice and the impolicy of the Stamp Act, he said
in tones of thrilling solemnity, "Caesar had his Brutus; Charles the
First, his Cromwell; and George the Third ['Treason,' shouted the
speaker. 'Treason,' 'treason,' rose from all sides of the room. The
orator paused in stately defiance till these rude exclamations were
ended, and then, rearing himself with a look and bearing of still
prouder and fiercer determination, he so closed the sentence as to
baffle his accusers, without in the least flinching from his own
position,]--and George the Third may profit by their example. If this
be treason, make the most of it."[69]

Of this memorable struggle nearly all other details have perished with
the men who took part in it. After the House, in committee of the
whole, had, on the 29th of May, spent sufficient time in the
discussion, "Mr. Speaker resumed the chair," says the Journal, "and
Mr. Attorney reported that the said committee had had the said matter
under consideration, and had come to several resolutions thereon,
which he was ready to deliver in at the table. Ordered that the said
report be received to-morrow." It is probable that on the morrow the
battle was renewed with even greater fierceness than before. The
Journal proceeds: "May 30. Mr. Attorney, from the committee of the
whole House, reported according to order, that the committee had
considered the steps necessary to be taken in consequence of the
resolutions of the House of Commons of Great Britain, relative to the
charging certain stamp duties in the colonies and plantations in
America, and that they had come to several resolutions thereon, which
he read in his place and then delivered at the table; when they were
again twice read, and agreed to by the House, with some amendments."
Then were passed by the House, p